HTC Evo 4G Software Update, Full Tech Specs

The HTC Evo 4G smartphone offered on Sprint’s 4G WiMAX mobile broadband network was the first mobile device to land on that wireless platform. It was also the first 4G/3G handset, capable of accessing 3G towers when 4G was not within reach. Recently, HTC and Sprint both announced an over the air software upgrade, and now that update should have reached all HTC Evo  4G handsets.
The software upgrade was rolled out in a tiered delivery system, with some handset owners receiving it before others. You should have received a notification, and then simply followed the on-screen prompts to install. To check and see if your handset has already received the new software, check the settings on the HTC Evo  4G for a 4.53.651.1 handset profile designation.
The software upgrade was issued to address several problems that HTC Evo 4G handset owners have expressed. Voice recognition accuracy is now integrated with voice search which was a problem in the past. Some images were being cut off in the Picasa application, and out of memory errors were appearing when there was no memory issue. These have all been addressed with this new software update, and users have even reported battery better battery life as a result of the upgrade.
The HTC Evo 4G was one of the first handsets to deliver a 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen supporting multitouch gestures with a layer of protective scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass on top of the screen. Light and proximity sensors are built into the display, and the touchscreen technology employed is TFT. The HTC Evo 4G is medium in size and heavier in weight than the average 4G smartphone, measuring 4.80 x 2.60 x 0.50 inches (122 x 66 x 13 mm) and weighing 6.00 ounces (170 g).  Buy the HTC Evo 4G starting at only $19.99.
The processor on board is a single core Snapdragon chipset, with 512 MB of RAM memory and 1.0 GB of ROM memory supporting it. Out-of-the-box the HTC Evo 4G handset supports Android Froyo 2.2, but an upgrade to Android’s 2.3.4 Gingerbread software was recently rolled out over the air.
A rear facing eight megapixel camera offers recording video and still pictures in 720P HD with autofocus, digital zoom and dual LED flash features, and the front facing 1.3 megapixel camcorder offers video chat and video call options at VGA quality. The HTC Evo 4G Android handset is exclusive to the Sprint 4G WiMAX mobile broadband network, and is available for $19 at select Sprint authorized retailers with a two-year activation.

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Sony to go it alone? RIP Sony Ericsson

Well, something had to give. Sony Ericsson​, once one of the most successful mobile manufacturers in the world, has become a bit of a laughing stock of late. It’s about a year behind rivals when it comes to dual-core, and the much-hyped Xperia Play – once touted as an “iPhone killer” – is languishing in bargain bins at £150.
It’ll come as little surprise then that Sony is reportedly in talks to buy out Ericsson from their ailing joint venture.

A source “with direct knowledge of the matter” told Reuters that Sony hopes to go it alone in future. At present, tablets (including the Tablet S and Tablet P), gaming devices (such as the PSP), and consumer electronics come from Sony, while smartphones come under Sony Ericsson.
"Up to now Sony's products and network services have all been separate. Unifying them would be positive," said Yoshiharu Izumi, analyst with JP Morgan Tokyo. "If they can leverage their games and other network services I think they can lift their share." Hmm, we’ll see.
"The talks are not something that have been announced by Sony. We are declining to comment," said a Sony spokeswoman in Tokyo. Not denying the existence of the talks then?
Sony Ericsson is well into double figures with its smartphone output this year, and the reaction has largely been “meh”.

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AT&T sells over 200,000 Apple iPhone 4S pre-orders in 12 hours

Critics who said that the public might have less of a demand for the Apple iPhone 4S due to its relatively minor upgrades might be quieted, as AT&T has announced that it sold over 200,000 pre-orders for the smartphone in a mere 12 hours since the option went live for customers. The other U.S. carriers selling the iPhone, Sprint and Verizon Wireless, have not announced exact numbers of pre-orders, but a quick check on their availability online shows many options delayed or even sold out.
Apple's own website lists a 1 to 2 week wait for each model from all three carriers. AT&T's website says that ship times for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions are in the 14 to 21 day range, while Verizon Wireless says each model will ship on October 21, a week after the phone becomes available in stores. Those who are itching to get their pre-order in and want the phone next week might have the best luck with Sprint, though they will have to opt for the higher capacity models. Sprint says the 16GB version is sold out completely and is no longer taking pre-orders for it. The 32GB and 64GB are still listed with an October 14 ship date, so orders placed for those might be fulfilled next week. The 16GB model sells for $199 with a new two-year contract, while the 32GB and 64GB versions cost $299 and $399 respectively.
Following Apple's announcement of the iPhone 4S, many critics said that demand for the popular smartphone would wane because the exterior design is the same as the 15-month old iPhone 4. That apparently isn't the case, as can be seen from the high demand for pre-orders of the iPhone 4S. Apple's sales record for the iPhone was set last June for the iPhone 4 launch, and stands at 1.7 million units in three days. At the pace that the iPhone 4S is selling, there is a good chance that Apple could see a new sales record with the new model when it hits stores on October 14.

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HTC becomes the most valuable brand of Taiwan

After having spent a number of years in developing its brand value on the global stage, Taiwan based HTC Corp has recently become the biggest international brand of the island. HTC is said to be reaping the benefit from the efforts that it has put in through the years as it is currently valued at around $3.605 billion, which is the highest value among the largest 20 companies in the country. Propelled by the rapid growth in its brand recognition throughout the world, the brand value of HTC has increased by more than two times from its valuation of $1.37 billion last year when one of the biggest PC vendors of the world, Acer, topped the rankings with a value of $1.4 billion.
However, this year the value of HTC has surpassed even the combined totals of the second largest company Acer and the third largest, Asustek. Observers of the market have stated that it is very likely that HTC will make its way into the top 100 brands in the world this year. It is a very prevalent opinion across Taiwan that HTC, which spent just a couple of years building its brand name in the smartphone market of the world, has been a huge success along with being the best example of enterprises in Taiwan, especially to companies which aspire to make a global brand name for themselves from being low margin manufacturers. The HTC CEO, Peter Chou​, has stated that he is very proud of the recent achievements of his company and even amazed by them, saying that HTC owed this to its worldwide consumers.
He remembered that five years ago, the determination of the company to build itself into a global brand was considered very bold, as during those times most Taiwanese enterprises were reluctant in competing with established brands due to the costs and risks involved. Citing the success of his company, he even prompted other such companies based in Taiwan to develop their own brand names in terms of their competencies.
However, he also stressed, that this process can require a lot of patience and time, and it will very likely not be immediately successful. This year has been very good for HTC so far in terms of profits and it is well positioned to register a strong growth in its business for the third straight year.

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Google & T-Mobile file to support HTC in Apple lawsuit

T-Mobile and Google have both filed friends of the court briefs supporting HTC against Apple’s patent lawsuit. The two corporations are protecting interests in the Android platform and its manufacturers, as both of them are actively supporting Samsung in a similar case. The reasoning behind their support briefs is the public interest, and both claim that if Apple keeps HTC from selling competitive devices, various negative effects will be felt by American consumers.

The move mirrors amicus curiae briefs filed by both Verizon and T-Mobile last week in support of Samsung, which is also being sued by Apple in the United States and countries around the globe. Apple contests that both HTC and Samsung have violated their hardware and software design patents, and have filed injunctions to stop sales of devices competing with the iPhone and in some countries the iPad as well. Apple has already secured injunctions against Samsung in both Germany and Australia.
The reasoning behind Google’s brief raised eyebrows at FOSS Patents, a popular blog covering the legal aspects of free and open-source software. Google touted Android’s expansion of the mobile market into low-income ares and its effectiveness during natural disasters, as well as its use by important infrastructure such as the U.S. Army. Google claims that Apple is using the patent system as a means of creating a monopoly, and that their attempted injunction against HTC threatens competition.
Google also highlighted Android’s status as “the only open mobile computing platform.” Editorial note: say Google, Honeycomb came out more than six months ago – would you mind releasing the source code for this open mobile OS you’re so keen on?

T-Mobile basically repeated their support for Samsung, claiming HTC as a major business partner and that an injunction would cause irreparable damage to their future sales. T-Mobile called out Apple’s suggestion that companies supplement a lack of Android devices with “iOS for iPhone, Blackberry OS, and Microsoft Windows” as unreasonable. The company also said that an injunction against HTC would damage its continuing rollout of a 4G network.
So, will these supplementary briefs help HTC and Samsung? It’s hard to say. Patent cases like this end in a settlement more often than not, but it looks like Apple won’t be satisfied with anything less than a ban on Android devices from both major manufacturers. Apple’s refusal to settle in the Samsung Australian case indicates that the worldwide patent battle won’t be ending any time soon.

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Nexus Prime hits the FCC with AT&T and T-Mobile bands

What exclusive? Thanks to a forum tipster, we now know that the Samsung GT-I9250, which is thought to be the Nexus Prime, is passing through the FCC’s wireless certification process. What’s confusing about it is that this particular model features a GSM radio with wireless bands for both AT&T and T-Mobile. According to all the leaks and rumors heard thus far, the Nexus Prime was supposed to be a Verizon exclusive  – that was thought to be part of the reason the carrier was the only one in the United States to pass up on the Samsung Galaxy S II.

The device being examined by the Federal Communications Commission lacks any sort of CDMA radio, ruling out a universal model a la the recently-announced iPhone 4S. Unfortunately, it also lacks any HSPA+, aka “4G” bands, which is odd, since there’s already a 4G model of the Nexus S. A possible answer is that we’re talking about two separate phones, perhaps with different code names – Nexus Prime, Galaxy Nexus, Droid Prime and Droid Nexus have all been bandied about lately. At this point it’s difficult to say which carrier might get the phone first, or how long it might be exclusive to any carrier.
The only thing we can say with any certainty is that Samsung has a new high-profile Android phone in the works, with a release date nebulously set for “soon”. Samsung had planned to unveil the device at CTIA in San Diego next Tuesday, but due to the untimely passing of Steve Jobs, the announcement has been indefinitely postponed. Rumor has it that Samsung and Google may reschedule the Unbox event for October 27th, with a possible London venue.
[via Phandroid]
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HTC Jetstream hands-on video from SlashGear

Have you got an empty space in your backpack,but a wallet that’s full to bursting? Then HTC’s new Jetstream tablet might just be for you. It’s a solid offering of a Honeycomb tablet that’s tragically hamstrung by a $699.99 on contract starting price from AT&T.

Now HTC makes some incredibly solid phones and tablets. For my money (well, not my money, at least not in this case) they’re the best all-around manufacturer of Android devices bar none. And according to the initial impressions, that quality is all over the 10-inch Jetsteam, from its top-of-the-line specifications to its metal housing (not unlike its little brother the Flyer). In addition to the dual-core 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM, this is the first tablet we’ve seen from any manufacturer with an 8 megapixel camera and 1080p recording. THe Jetstream in the first tablet we’ve seen that doesn’t trwat the camera like an afterthought.

Hands-on and Unboxing the HTC JetstreamOnce you get past that impressive fit and finish, there’s still a lot of high-end specs to consider. Other highlights include a massive 7300 mAh battery, a user-accessible MicroSD card slot, 32GB of internal storage and a “4G” HSPA+ wireless connection. Is all this worth the steep entry fee, not to mention a total life cost of ownership stretching past $1200 at the cheapest? That’s for you to decide. Check out device.ac’s HTC Jetstream page for an in-depth look under the hood.

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Samsung Stratosphere 4G LTE Slider hits Verizon October 13th

The Samsung Stratosphere comes to us as no surprise today. We’ve seen countless leaks of this mid-range QWERTY slider in the past. Spotted on some Verizon roadmaps, cleared the FCC last month, and full press shots have leaked a few times too. Verizon’s 4G LTE device range is about to get one more added soon, that being the Samsung Stratosphere.

While pricing and details have not been released, we now know the Samsung Stratosphere 4G LTE QWERTY Slider will hit Verizon Wireless on October 13th and should make for another great mid-range LTE option just like the Pantech Breakout

For those unfamiliar, the Stratosphere is basically a last generation Samsung Galaxy S (not a II). It features a 4.0″ AMOLED Display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1.0 Ghz single-core Samsung processor, 5 MP camera on the rear and the usual specs we’ve come to know from the Galaxy S line. The Stratosphere is basically the Samsung DROID Charge with a smaller display and a hardware keyboard, that should sum it up quite nicely.
The Samsung Stratosphere 4G LTE smartphone is no DROID Bionic, or the upcoming Nexus Prime, but it will be an awesome low priced mid-range smartphone for those wanting to jump into the LTE market. Stay tuned for official pricing and more.
[via Droid-life]

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Ice Cream Sandwich Google+ 2.0 and new Google Music 4.0 Apps revealed [Download]

Today we’ve seen plenty news regarding the Samsung Nexus and Ice Cream Sandwich. It appears a few are out in the wild and the leaks are finally starting to flood in so prepare for a few crazy days. Obviously there will be tons of changes and new apps, features in Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich but a few that are already leaking have just hit the wires. We have a new Google+ application, version 2.0, with a few changes, then a brand new Google Music app too. More details and download links below.

First off it appears the new Google+ app comes pre-installed and is version 2.0. Recent updates changed Huddles to Messenger, and if this leak is accurate Google is changing it yet again to something called “Chord”. Personally I think messenger was fine and Chord will only confuse people, but what do I know right? We still may see another name come the official launch, but with it being version 2.0 this looks like a final build of some type. There are also numerous UI changes and you can see all of that and more at the source.
Next up we have a brand new Google Music application, this excited me even more. I love Google Music and now we are seeing a new and improved version 4.0.1 from the Ice Cream Sandwich leaks. Basically what we have is a revamped but similar user interface, a clean and simple look, much better controls, and an overall design looking very similar to ICS. It looks quite similar to version 3.0 but just overall cleaner and much more simple. The playing now tab on bottom seems smaller too, check out the picture.

Everything looks nice. I wont get into the details too much because all of this is just starting to hit the wires. Sadly the Nexus Prime CTIA event was canceled in respect to Steve Jobs, so we’ll all have to wait a little longer to get a full look at Ice Cream Sandwich, although I’m sure plenty of leaks are coming shortly so stay tuned to Android Community.
Google Music 4.0.1 download
Google + 2.0 Download

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